A Wow Day

By Gloria Arago

Under the Community Outreach Programme (COP), a number of students and I were blessed with a journey to Kwetu Home of Peace on Saturday, 2nd September 2017. This being my second activity, I was still astounded by the full bus turn-up and friendly interactions while on journey. We made it there safely after a 2 hour miscellaneous journey. The first thing that met me once I was out of the gate was the calm gentle breeze. Amazing how calmingly that actually was. Once inside, boys basically of young adolescent age, were the apple of my eyes.

Kwetu Home of Peace boys lining up to receive shoes and bag donations from the COP Strathmore team

The home was lively and vibrant as the boys filled it with so much light. The boys were up to child’s play at our arrival or rather being boys. But at first interaction, I saw the vibrancy in the eyes of boys who knew some of our fellow colleagues. This is as a result of our weekly mentoring sessions; every Thursday evening from 4 to 6.30 pm. They were ecstatic. So we had an assembly with them and their administrators, in which they were briefed about our involvement in all their activities that day. Hence, the day began as we split into groups to do the various work with the boys vivid activity. I was in the kitchen and the cooking process started as we divided the activities. Amazement still filled me as we had no particular leader there but we worked as a team with no one asking what was to be done but duty fell on everyone.

The boys pose for a photo with their shoes and bags

And with this, responsibility fell on the hands of all and task was accomplished in time by the hour of lunch. During the entire activity, the combination of unity and collaboration got us not only to do the work in time but also to interact with the children and among ourselves. Well, we cleaned up and started a meetup with the boys at which the gifts from Strathmore University fell in the hands of the children who were astounded with joy. It was a fulfilling moment for a well-deserved day.

After this, we sang praise songs with the boys and alas a few speeches and the day that was ended amazingly. With each of us remembering that which is important in our lives.

Gloria Arago is a Ugandan student studying BCOM and ACCA in Strathmore and is a COP volunteer.